FAMU and City of Tallahassee Unveil Environmental Research Project
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FAMU and Tallahassee Unveil Environmental Research Project

TALLAHASSEE – Florida A&M University and the City of Tallahassee are partnering on an environmental research project that will study the pollutant absorption and retention rates of rain gardens for managing stormwater runoff to reduce water pollution.

The study was announced during a news conference Wednesday in which FAMU and city officials led a tour of the university’s model rain garden, a bioretention research project designed to evaluate alternative methods of protecting sensitive groundwater.

The centerpiece of the research, FAMU’s rain garden, was designed and installed in spring 2006 by faculty and more than 45 students from the Environmental Sciences Institute, the School of Architecture, and the College of Engineering, Sciences, Technology and Agriculture (CESTA) in cooperation with the City of Tallahassee’s “Think About Personal Pollution” (TAPP) program. It is expected that the study will solidify FAMU’s reputation as a leader in stormwater management research.

“We are very pleased that FAMU and the city’s TAPP program have collaborated on the development of a rain garden which will provide an area where research on the effectiveness of these methods in treating stormwater can be evaluated,” said TAPP Project Coordinator Nancy Caire Miller. “This is an opportunity for researchers and the community to learn more about innovative ways to protect our water supply and water quality.”

According to Miller, rain gardens are more than an aesthetic way to improve water quality. They capture rainwater that washes off lawns, rooftops, driveways and parking lots – which often contain pollutants such as silt, fertilizer and other chemicals – so those chemicals are less likely to reach our water supplies. Rain gardens also help to recharge local groundwater by allowing water more time to filter into the ground. Rain garden plantings remove standing water, create habitats for birds and butterflies and slow the flow of stormwater into local waterways.

“FAMU hopes that its research in rain gardens will lead the way for Florida and the rest of the country to incorporate rain gardens in our yards,” said Robinson. “It is important for people to recognize that water is a limited resource and water quality is vital to us all.”

More than 100 hours of service have gone into creating the 2,100-square-foot rain garden, which is located behind the FAMU Teleconference Center.

Grant funds are available for city residents interested in establishing rain gardens at their home or business. Applications for grants can be downloaded from the TAPP Web site, www.TAPPwater.org, or by calling 224-TAPP (8277). The TAPP program is funded by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the City of Tallahassee through the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.